Feeling down once in a while is normal, but if you are sad most of the time and it is beginning to affect your daily life, it may be a sign of depression. There are many different causes of depression, and they can result in various symptoms, many of which you may not fully comprehend. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Zlatin Ivanov at Online Psychiatrists to find out more about your symptoms and what you can do to treat your depression. With his years of experience, Dr. Ivanov makes an accurate diagnosis of your condition and comes up with treatment plans that help you feel better. He understands how depression can disrupt work or family relations and offers support and therapies to improve your quality of life.
Depression is a mental health condition experienced differently by different people and causes several symptoms. It affects how you feel, think, behave, and function.
There are many different types of depression caused by events in your life or chemical changes in the brain. It is important to note that your life with depression may not be the same as someone else going through depression.
Learning about different types of depression and the depression you could be suffering from can help you find the best treatment options and deal with it effectively. Seven of the more common types of depression include the following.
It is a mood disorder that can cause mild, moderate, or severe depression. A mild case of MDD can cause minor disruptions in your social or work life, but a severe case of this illness can lead to intense symptoms which become distressing and manageable. It can also lead to significant problems in your relationship, career, and routine life.
A mental health professional may diagnose you with major depression if you have five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or longer:
Major depression appears differently in different people, depending on how your depression makes you feel. Treatment options for MDD depend on the causes of the disorders as well as accurate diagnosis.
They include:
Read more: What Does Psychiatric Disorder Mean?
Also known as persistent depressive disorder, it is not as severe as MDD, but depending on your current depressed mood, it may be mild, moderate, or severe. It is a continuous, long-lasting type of depression. People with this disorder find it hard to be happy, even on happy occasions. With dysthymia, you are always down.
Symptoms can last for two years or even more and include:
As these feelings and symptoms last so long, they may interfere with your relationships, school, work, and daily activities. You may not even realize you have this disorder, but it makes coping with symptoms of persistent depressive disorder a challenge. You may think it is normal to feel how you have been feeling all this time.
Dysthymia can be treated with a combination of these options:
It is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns, and behaviors. These shifts can last for hours, days, weeks, or months, and impact your everyday functioning and ability to perform routine tasks.
It is a type of depression in which patients swing between periods of abnormally elevated mood, called mania and depressive episodes. Also known as manic depression, it causes mood swings that range from extremes of high energy with an up mood to low, depressive periods. When the periods of mania are extreme, it is called hypermania. During the low phase, you will have major depression.
During the manic phase, you may feel intensely euphoric and experience:
You may not feel like eating or sleeping during this time and will talk quickly. You can also become easily irritated or agitated. Treatment of bipolar disorder is different as it includes episodes of mania as well as depression.
A mental healthcare professional may recommend:
It is a condition in which an individual struggling with depression also experiences psychosis. Psychosis is when you lose touch with reality and start seeing, hearing, smelling, or believing things that are not real. It is a serious condition that causes psychotic symptoms with the sadness and hopelessness associated with depression.
Signs and symptoms of psychosis include:
Psychosis shares many of the same symptoms as MDD, such as:
Psychotic depression does not get better with professional treatment, and some patients may require a short stay in the hospital to treat severe psychosis and persistent thoughts of self-harm.
Treatment for psychotic depression generally involves:
Women experience major depression in the weeks and months after childbirth. While it is also called baby blues, it is more serious than the blues and needs proper care and treatment. This type of depression is linked to the major hormonal shifts that take place during pregnancy as well as anxiety about parenthood. As the levels of estrogen and progesterone drop rapidly after childbirth, it can lead to changes in the brain which results in intense mood swings. Looking after a newborn baby is not easy, and many women lose sleep which can worsen the symptoms of depression.
Women suffering from postpartum depression suffer from:
New mothers can also experience postpartum psychosis, a mental health condition in which depression is accompanied by confusion, hallucinations, or delusions. Postpartum depression does not mean you are a bad mother or it is your fault. If you notice symptoms, call your mental healthcare provider to get the best help and start feeling better.
Treatment for postpartum depression can include:
Usually, a combination of medication and therapy is the most effective way to treat postpartum depression. Lifestyle changes can also help to reduce symptoms of depression. Coping strategies help you get sufficient sleep, make time for physical activity, eat regular, healthy meals, and seek support from others to care for your child.
Read more: Is Wellbutrin An SSRI, SNRI, Or NDRI?
It is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. It is also called winter depression, as most people experience SAD in winter when the days grow short, and you get less and less sunlight. It usually goes away in the spring and summer.
Symptoms of SAD include:
The mood change of SAD has been linked to a lack of vitamin D in the body, which is produced by sunlight.
Treatment for SAD includes:
You may feel symptoms that are unique to you, but they are likely to fall under one of these types of depression. Understanding how these types are caused by different factors and what symptoms they are producing is the most significant step in finding the right treatment.
You don’t have to suffer from depression alone or battle the emotional and behavioral problems you are experiencing. Dr. Zlatin Ivanov determines the type of depression you are suffering from and offers support that is right for you. He recommends therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes to help you ease the debilitating symptoms and get back to participating in activities you love.
Dr. Zlatin Ivanov, MD, is an adult psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and OCD. He offers exceptional talk therapy and medication management through online video conferencing.
Dr. Ivanov is double board certified in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurology and a member of the American Psychiatric Association. His medical career is colored by many outstanding contributions to medicine, including several publications, research, and scientific presentations. An attending psychiatrist at Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY, and Bellevue Hospital Center in New York City, he takes the time to listen to patients and makes sure they know he is committed to their unique situation.
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